Meal Planning Monday ~ “Fried” Chicken

Mmm, fried chicken! I’m not a huge fan of fried foods, but I really do love fried chicken. I only let myself eat it a few times a year because the fat and calorie content is through the roof! So you can imagine my excitement when I found a recipe for Oven Fried Chicken. To my delight, it was awesome and MUCH healthier than the fried chicken I typically pine over. Even my husband loves it! With a side of mashed potatoes and green beans, this oven-fried chicken dinner is comfort food at its best.

I’m always looking for ways to tweak recipes and make them healthier, since I want to make sure that I am eating well while I save money with couponing and meal planning. Here are some great ideas for cutting fat and calories in your favorite recipes. It’s pretty easy to swap reduced fat sour cream or cream cheese for the full-fat version without sacrificing flavor (I rarely use the fat-free versions though.) You can also do this with cheeses and milk. I frequently replace half the oil in recipes with applesauce when I am baking cakes or muffins with good results. When sautéing foods, I will frequently use chicken broth or white cooking wine instead of oil. What are your favorite ways to cut the fat in your recipes without sacrificing flavor?

Here is what’s on the Luken Meal Plan for this week:

Monday ~ Spaghetti with Spicy Meat Sauce. I use ground turkey, whole wheat spaghetti, and Classico’s Spicy Tomato sauce. I serve this with a salad.

Tuesday ~ Lean Cuisine and a Salad. I have the final Beta Testers’ Meeting tonight for the Coupon Wizard software, which will be released in September!

Wednesday ~ Chicken Fried Rice. I make this healthier by using brown rice instead of white.

Thursday ~ FFY (Fend for Yourself) Night. I am golfing with my Mom, weather permitting. I’ll probably have a sandwich before or after I play as my dinner.

Saturday ~ Beef Stew. I make this in the crockpot and add a can of beef gravy to make it nice and thick.

Sunday ~ Oven Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans.

Oven Fried Chicken (Recipe Adapted from MyFoodLovers.com)

4 Bone-In Chicken Breasts, Skin removed

1 Large Egg

¼ Cup of Skim Milk

¼ Cup Chopped Pecans

1/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/3 Cup Corn Meal

½ Teaspoon Hot Chili Powder

½ Teaspoon Each, Salt & Pepper

Butter Flavored Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 425. Line a 9 x 13 pan with heavy duty foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. In one bowl, whisk together egg and milk. In another bowl, combine pecans, flour, corn meal, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Rinse the skinless chicken and pat dry. Dip in the milk and egg mixture, then coat thoroughly with the flour mixture. Place in the pan, bone side down. Spray the top of each chicken breast with cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink. Boneless chicken breasts can also be used (adjust the cooking time down about 5 minutes depending on the size.)